Heather from Movie Mobsters – Movie Critic Interviews

Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 4:09 pm

This week on Critical Juncture, we’re talking to Heather from Movie Mobsters. Heather was raised in the Detroit area and quickly developed a love for both writing and cinema. Now that she’s all grown up (and a mother of two), she enjoys video games, camping, scrapbooking, writing, reading, and watching lots of movies. Her personal heroes include such diverse figures as Michael Crichton, Anne Rice and Dennis Miller.

When you get a moment, click on the link to visit the Movie Mobsters website. Besides a ton of movie reviews, they also feature movie news, top 10 lists, and plenty of other ways for you to get your daily cinematic fix.

Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, let’s take a look at how Heather responded to our patented series of questions. Thanks for participating, Heather!

Only Good Movies: What’s the first movie that you remember seeing?Heather from Movie Mobsters:Poltergeist, I remember sneaking into my parents room and watching it without them knowing.

OGM: What’s the most recent movie you’ve seen?HfMM:Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince(OGM Note: It took me a while to get this posted, so Heather has no doubt seen more recent films.)

OGM: Is there a particular film which you feel is criminally underrated?HfMM:From Dusk Till Dawn and Natural Born Killers

OGM: Which director do you feel has turned out the best overall body of work?HfMM: James Cameron. His list of films may be short, but I admire his dedication to making his work right rather than putting out a plethora of work for the sake of making more movies. The results show. Everything he’s turned out has been a spectacular addition to the art of cinema, and I’m waiting in great anticipation for Avatar.

OGM: From an artistic standpoint, which film do you think is most important?HfMM: This is difficult because many films are for different reasons. I think some Asian influenced films like Crouching Tiger and Hero have had a profound affect on the visual interpretation of film, but also movies like 300 and it’s cinematagraphy is becoming more prevelant in films today. Toy Story is the first film to really shine with it’s CGI and has taken us to a new world in the land of animation and special effects, but I think I would hand this one to Rosemary’s Baby. There were so many compelling camera angles, the cinematography was eerie, the soundtrack unnerving, all creating a completely different kind of feel for films entirely. Even today there isn’t a film that makes me FEEL like Rosemary’s Baby.

OGM: All artsy considerations aside, which movie is your personal favorite?HfMM: My personal favorite is Aliens. At the time of it’s release it was groundbreaking in special effects, but also one of the first films to to integrate Science Fiction and real Action together in one film. With the cohesion of the two, he took Aliens and turned it into a masterful production of entertainment. An in-depth mythology already created for this world with characters that were both heroic, villainous, and some just props for the show. Each were engaging and compelling enough to fit comfortably into any dramatic film as well. Even your “C” character’s are three dimensional. This is a film that has only continued to gain my respect over the years, and it is still as entertaining and riveting as when it was first released.

OGM: In your opinion, which film is entirely overrated?HfMM:Shakespeare In Love. The Academy adored it along with men and women flocking to the theatres to see it or rent it when it came on VHS/DVD. I broke down, sat, enjoyed, and thought, “This was it? This was what all the fuss was about?” Even now I’m completely dumfounded by the accolades this film has received. It’s good. It entertains, but at best it’s an okay movie that is utterly forgettable. Even in its best state, it scored its most opportunistic points by the mere factor of using Shakespeare’s brilliance rather than its own originality. I’ve never gotten its allure, nor shall I ever.

OGM: Have you ever walked out of the theatre during a film? If so, what movie was playing?HfMM: No, I have not. In most cases I will always finish a movie even if it’s on TV or rented. Sometimes, not often, but occasionally the finish of a movie can change your perspective on things a little.

OGM: In your mind, what’s the ultimate goal of a movie critic?HfMM: To give a distinct point of view. Giving an honest and objective opinion is what it’s all about, while also entertaining.

OGM: Time to look into the future. Do you predict any major changes for the movie industry over the next 25 years?HfMM: There is a lot of change right now. Film seems to be more concerned with quantity rather than quality now, and there seems to be an overwhelming amount of sequels and remakes. I predict in the next decade that this theme will wear thin, and hopefully some original thoughts and imagination will once again grace the screens.

OGM: Here’s another chance to predict the future. Name a relatively unknown actor or actress who’ll be a huge star within five years.HfMM: Anton Yelchin who was recently in Star Trek but really shined in Terminator Salvation as a young Kyle Reece.

OGM: Besides yourself, who’s your favorite movie critic to read?HfMM: I love Roger Ebert. He knows his movies, but you can see he still has a genuine affection for them. Even when I don’t agree with him, I respect his opinion.

One of my fav sites to read, she actually motivated me to keep my blog going, shes a class act and her opinion is defientely validated among us movie fanatics.

August 21, 2009

Heather

Absolutely awesome! Thanks for the interview and thanks for taking the time to ask me interesting questions. Sometimes it’s good just to get asked why you have your passion a one time or another. It makes you reflect a little bit more.